The Michigan State men's basketball program returns to action after nearly a week off as they get set to take on the undefeated and No. 6-ranked Baylor Bears at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. The game will take place at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and will broadcast on FOX.

The Spartans are coming off a 77-70 loss at the hands of the Nebraska Cornhuskers to drop their overall record to 4-5, and their Big Ten record to 0-2, on the 2023-2024 season.

Baylor is coming off a 78-60 win over Seton Hall to improve its record to 9-0 on the season. After a rough start to the campaign, Michigan State really need this win to bolster its resume and gain some confidence.

Let's break down the matchup.

Michigan State: Depth Chart and State of the Team

1 - A.J. Hoggard (6’4” Sr.), Tre Holloman (6’2” So.)

2 - Tyson Walker (6’0” Graduate Sr.), Jeremy Fears Jr. (6'2" Fr.)

3 - Jaden Akins (6’4” Jr.), Coen Carr (6’5” Fr.), Gehrig Normand (6'5" Fr.)

4 - Malik Hall (6’8” Graduate Sr.), Xavier Booker (6'11" Fr.)

5 - Carson Cooper (6’11” So.), Mady Sissoko (6’9” Sr.)

Injured: Jaxon Kohler (6’9” So.)

Rankings & Ratings: No. N/A (AP), No. N/A (Coaches), No. 79(NET), No.34(Kenpom), No.22 (Barttorvik)

Michigan State battled, and to some degree, played one of its better games of the season against Nebraska, but in the end, the Spartans came away on the losing end versus the Cornhuskers.

The Spartans were led by the seniors in this contest as Malik Hall, A.J. Hoggard and Tyson Walker all had good games. But even with their efforts, the Huskers were able to make more plays down the stretch when it was winning time.

MSU was once again hindered by the complete lack of production from the center position as Carson Cooper and Mady Sissoko combined for two points, one assist and three rebounds against Nebraska. If the Spartans want to get on the right track, they must get some semblance of production from this position.

Unfortunately for Michigan State, things won't get any easier against an undefeated Baylor team on Saturday.

Baylor: Depth Chart and State of the Team

1 - RayJ Dennis (6'2" Sr.)

2 - Ja'Kobe Walter (6'5" Fr.), Langston Love (6"5" RS So.)

3 - Jayden Nunn (6'4" Jr.)

4 - Jalen Bridges (6'9" Sr.)

5 - Yves Missi (7'0" Fr.), Josh Ojianwuna (6'10" So.)

Injured: Yanis Ndjonga (6'7" Jr.)

Rankings & Ratings: No. 6 (AP), No. 6 (Coaches), No. 5(NET), No.6 (Kenpom), No. 14 (Barttorvik)

The Baylor Bears are one of the few undefeated teams still left in the country, and it is no fluke. This team might have the most talented guards in the country and head coach Scott Drew knows how to get the absolute best out of his guards.

The guards in the rotation are all averaging at least 10 points per game and are led by their freshman Ja’Kobe Walter, who averages just under 15 points per game. Walter is one of the best freshmen in the country and is widely considered to be a potential top-10 pick in next year’s NBA Draft.

Alongside Walter, you have the two gems that Coach Drew got from the transfer portal in RayJ Dennis (Toledo) and Jayden Nunn (VCU). Both Nunn and Dennis have been thriving in Drew’s system, and alongside Walter, they are arguably one of the best trios in the country. Veteran Langston Love also provides great depth and experience at the guard position off the bench.

In the front-court, the Bears feature a good mix of youth and veterans. Jalen Bridges, who was a Michigan State target in the transfer portal from West Virginia ahead of the 2022-2023 season, has been stellar at the forward spot for Baylor this season and provides a little bit of everything for the team. At center is the 7-foot freshman, Yves Missi, who seems to get better and better every time he takes the floor. Missi leads the Bears in both rebounds and blocks per game.

This Baylor team is not the typical defensive juggernaut that previous teams have been, but the Bears are special offensively. As a team, they shoot 52% from the field and 43.2% from 3-point range.

The Spartans will have to have a sense of urgency in this game given the circumstances. If Michigan State cannot find a way to win, it could find itself without a marquee win in the non-conference.

Baylor will surely provide a serious test in this game and it will be imperative that Michigan State's trio of Tyson Walker, A.J. Hoggard and Jaden Akins all bring their A-game. I think the Spartans will battle but in the end, I think Baylor will just be too much for MSU.

Prediction: Baylor 79, Michigan State 70

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Join the discussion on this article in our premium forums by clicking here.

You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Threads, TikTok, and Instagram.

For video content, including our Red Cedar Radar podcast, find us on YouTube and consider subscribing.